USA: Foreign Polcy: Iran and Syria named as sponsors of cartoon-protest violence, Hamas unnamed so far

In a fast developing flow of news, Condoleeza Rice has fingered both Iran and Syria, the countries that sandwich Iraq and its budding democracy like a pair of pincers, as responsible for exploiting the Cartoon Crisis. But she didn't mention that the riots first broke out in Palestine, where the Hamas organization whipped up demos, that then suddenly broke out in the country of domicile of the exiled top leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal (different spellings from news source to news source).

The US secretary of state has accused Iran and Syria of fuelling anti-Western sentiment, in a row over cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad.

Condoleezza Rice said both countries used the opportunity to incite violence and exploit Muslim anger.

The accusation came as the UK embassy in Iran came under attack. Western embassies in Syria and Lebanon were set alight over the weekend.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Ms Rice said some countries were behaving responsibly with regard to the row but that others "have also used this opportunity to incite violence."

BBC's CHRONOLOGY OF THE CARTOON CRISIS
30 Sept 2005: Danish paper publishes cartoons
20 Oct: Muslim ambassadors complain to Danish PM
10 Jan 2006: Norwegian publication reprints cartoons
30 Jan: Gunmen raid EU's Gaza office demanding apology
1 Feb: Papers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain reprint cartoons
4 Feb: Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus attacked
5 Feb: Protesters set alight Danish embassy in Beirut
6-7 Feb: At least eight killed in protests in Afghanistan
Underline and bold are mine - Owlie Scowlie

"I don't have any doubt that ... Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiments and to use this to their own purposes. And the world ought to call them on it," she said.

During the day about 200 Iranian demonstrators attacked the UK embassy in Tehran, but were prevented by police from forcing entry to the building.

-----------------For overall on structure of Hamas and Khaled Mashaal's role, see my piece "More insight into Hamas" in Religion of Peace?.Based on Greg Myre's excellent report in NYT.
For full profile of Khaled Meshaal, see BBC article on him.
For earlier speculation on possible faultline for split in Hamas, see my Hamas seems split on how to proceed.
For Michelle Malkin's dossier of photos on what I call "Carnage of cartoon backlash," Clickup up each of her Reuters photos of Muslim signs displayed publicly in street actions in London, to read attached text. Your comment?
- Politicarp (URLs, chronology underline & bold, and design compiled by Owlie Scowlie)